AFRICAN PALESTINIAN: ALI JIDDAH

Andrew Courtney (USA 2004, 24 min.)

In the Moslem quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City very near one of the great doors to the Dome of the Rock compound is the African Palestinian community. Viewers journey through the Damascus Gate, passing the Via Dolorosa and an Israeli ID checkpoint to find the African Palestinian quarter. The filmed meeting is with one of the community’s leaders, Ali Jiddah. Ali is an expressive analyst of the conditions Palestinians live under and speaks of the psychological, economic and political damage being caused by the continued Israeli occupation. He refers to the separation wall from a perspective of having lived his entire life behind occupation and prison walls. Ali also gives a brief history of the African Palestinians living in Jerusalem, and the film includes still photographs of members of this community.